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Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
351–360 of 534 posts
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#352Instead of posting on HN about it, spend some time working with the problem.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#353Perhaps try working memory training software of the type that Suzanne Jaeggi used in her studies. The software is called Brain Workshop. It is free. Note the science on this is messy. Jaeggi's paper suggested transfer to fluid intelligence, then another paper questioned that, then she wrote a better designed follow up, then another paper questioned that. Anecdotally I think it worked for me. I personally think the di…
Found Brain Work here: https://brainworkshop.sourceforge.net/
and also a browser-based versions of Dual-N-Back here:
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#354Earlier quoted context omitted.
Personal anecdote: I'm around the same age as OP and until recently also felt like my thinking was slowing down over the years. I went for many years without an exercise habit. About 5 months ago I started lifting weights. The transformation has defied all my expectations and the biggest unexpected benefit is that my mind has become sharper, faster and more focused. I essentially feel like I've reversed a decade's wo…
Would you mind sharing the routine, or a general outline of how you approached weight lifting from “zero” to “one”? I’m approaching 36 and haven’t lifted anything in 10+ years. But reading sentiments like this is motivating me to start again. I’m just scared honestly - my body has atrophied quite a bit the last 4-5 years at minimum
I am 34. Start HIIT (high intensity interval training) 10 weeks ago. First time in my life I am in a gym. I also notice the transformative effects.
The way I am managing to build my habit: Only do group sessions. If you want to go fast you go alone, but if you want to go far you go together. I know that group sessions are the only thing that give me enough structure to continue.
So maybe it will help you get started as it did for me? Personally I went to a fairly expensive gym so the groups are small. This to minimise risk of injury. Try it if you can afford it.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#355> I don't know if this task is just an especially bad fit for me, or if my mental abilities are declining?
There could be so many possibilities I'd explore before cognitive decline (at 40??)
1. You are not communicating well enough with team lead / members to get ahead on the task. Maybe they have good advice/feedback that you're not getting because communication is off.
2. You are a bit burned out
3. You ran into some difficulty with this hard task and drove yourself into a state of panic. This panic can feed onto itself and prohibit you from making any progress in a reinforcing loop. Now you're in such anxiety you can barely focus on anything.
4. You're not attacking the problem right. Maybe you can use debug messages, or a debugger, or write diagrams, or a small POC, whatever it is you're doing now maybe you can make some adjustment on how you're trying to solve it.
5. You're not taking care of the basics - sleep, nutrition, exercise. This will basically harm you in countless ways, don't do this.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#356I'm 42 and I forgot my bitwarden passphrase. About 20 hours later I remembered it.
I just sat down and was typing a much older passphrase despite having used the current one daily for over a year. That was probably the scariest part is that I remember the past few weeks as if I were using a different passphrase than I actually was (down to having typos on my phone that are impossible with my actual passphrase)
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#357Are you doing exercise, like aerobics or weight training?
Are you sleeping well?
Are you doing early time restricted eating? I.e. intermittent fasting
Hows your diet? Any alcohol or nicotine?
Those can have profound effects, and, though not an expert myself, they can be synergistic with each other
Exercise spurs neural growth in the hippocampus, which is key to short term memory
As you age sleep quality naturally deteriorates, starting a rapid decline at around age 45 if I remember correctly. Meanwhile, phsycal activity and sunlight exposure to your eyes during the day improves sleep quality. In addition, time restricted eating can have a powerfull effect on sleep quality
Intermittent fasting also increases neural growth and energy
On diet: Read a book called "Biohack your Brain" by Dr. Kirsten Willeumier
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#358Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#359Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had unlimited energy till about 40 and then I hit some sort of cliff. This coincided with covid and being indoors using high velocity media like reddit/insta. I am not sure how much is age and how much is habits that caused this.
Recent studies suggest that counter to popular belief our metabolism doesn't change from age 20 to age 60. There are individual factors that can certainly account for your change of energy and I would certainly look for culprits. I recently did a big change in myself - adjusted sleep, took specific supplements which I was suspect was deficient in and have found my energy to be much fuller. Do not ignore what your bod…
My ex worked on a study that involved testing people's short-term memory. She mentioned a clear and abrupt change around the age of 45, though that wasn't what they studied and of course was not included in the study results. This issue is highly politically charged.
Re: Ask HN: I'm 40 and feel my mental ability declining. Programming seems harder.
#360I learnt how to code at 40. Its not you getting old. Its just you burnt out.